INJURY PREVENTION FOR DRUMMERS

Drumming is a very physical event. Obviously it
is also conceptual and emotional, but no matter what style of
drumming you do your entire body is engaging in continuous movement.

It's important to be aware of what drumming movement actually
is, and how after 1000's of repetitions (beats, fills etc) our
posture can slowly get pulled out of alignment, if we are not
careful.

For a right handed drummer, the majority of the
actual movement pattern happens from the centre plane (playing a
beat), then round to the right (playing a fill around the kit), then
back again. Rarely does a right handed drummer move around to the
left to the same degree, or as often.

Therefore after years
of doing this, the following can happen..SPINAL
SCOLYOSIS - If our body is used to twisting from the centre
to the right, then the following is occurring inside the body. The
right oblique muscles are becoming stronger due to many repetitions
of twisting the body to the right, whilst the left obliques are
becoming very relaxed in order to let the body twist at all. Also
this particular range of movement becomes quite flexible as it's
something we do often.

THE DANGER - If you
don't do strengthening exercises that twist your body in the exact
opposite fashion - ie, to the left, then you can end up with a mild
scoliosis in your back, which is basically where the spine has a
sideways curve in it. Not a good thing!